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    Strawberry Spinach Salad

    Salads Gluten Free March 19, 2023 | By Kristen Chidsey | 13 Comments | *This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

    Jump to Recipe
    This simple Strawberry Spinach Salad is one of the BEST salad recipes! Everyone loves this fresh combination of spinach, strawberries and a creamy poppyseed dressing.

    This delicious and beautiful Strawberry Spinach Salad features tender spinach, juicy strawberries, toasted almonds, feta, and a homemade poppy seed dressing.

    Looking for more Spinach Salad Recipes? Check out Spinach Bacon Salad and Spinach Avocado Salad.  

    Spinach salad in serving dish topped with strawberies and poppyseed dressing.


    Strawberry Spinach Salad is one of my all-time favorite spring salad recipes. Scratch that, it is one of my favorite salad recipes EVER!!!

    Bursting with fresh, sweet strawberries and tender spinach, this simple spring salad is elevated with toasted almonds, mild shallots, salty feta cheese, and a creamy, dreamy poppy seed dressing.

    Not only are the flavors a perfect balance between sweet, savory, and salty, this Strawberry Spinach Salad is a stunner.

    why you'll love this recipe

    • Party Perfect. This is the spinach salad that everyone loves! It is the perfect salad to bring to a potluck, or dinner party, pair with an elegant brunch, or for a bridal or baby shower.
    • Easy to Make. Strawberry Spinach Salad comes together in less than 10 minutes, making it one of the easiest salad recipes.
    • Delicious. Creamy, salty, fresh, and vibrant, this Strawberry Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing is a knock-out in terms of flavor.
    • Healthy. Made with nutrient-dense spinach and strawberries and a wholesome homemade dressing, this salad is bursting with vitamins and antioxidants.
    • Beautiful. The contrast in colors from the vibrant green spinach to the red, ripe strawberries makes this salad visually stunning.

    Notes on Ingredients

    Ingredients for Strawberry Spinach Salad on counter.
    • Spinach: Baby spinach is best for this salad. It is tender and mild in flavor, without the bitterness larger spinach leaves can 
    • Strawberries: Fresh, juicy strawberries are obviously a must. Be sure to select ripe, vibrantly red strawberries for the best flavor.
    • Shallots: Shallots are optional, but the mild sharpness they provide to the salad is a great contrast to the sweet dressing and strawberries. I also find the shallots don't overwhelm the flavors as an onion can. It is also used in my recipe for poppy seed dressing.
    • Feta: Sharp, salty feta adds so much flavor to this salad. Crumbled goat cheese is another option to use in place of crumbled feta cheese.
    • Sliced Almonds: Almonds add a nice crunch to this simple salad. It is best to toast the almonds to bring out their flavor. Chopped walnuts or pecans make a great substitute for almonds. And obviously, if you need this salad to be nut-free, omit the almonds.
    • Poppy Seed Dressing: You can purchase your favorite poppyseed dressing, but this homemade dressing is simple to make and is so much fresher tasting. If you don't care for poppyseed dressing, Raspberry Dressing or Balsamic Vinaigrette make great substitutes and pair well with the strawberries and spinach.

    How To Make Strawberry Spinach Salad

    • Prepare the salad dressing by whisking together the yogurt, mustard, honey, grated shallot vinegar, poppy seeds, and salt in a small mixing bowl. Chill the dressing until ready to serve.
    Copycat Panera Strawberry Spinach Salad
    • I also recommend toasting the nuts to help develop their flavor. Place the nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, tossing every 30 seconds. When you smell the nuts, they will be ready!
    Almonds being toasted in dry skillet.
    • To assemble the salad, toss together the spinach, shallots, and strawberries in a large serving bowl.
    Strawberries and shallots on top of spinach.
    • Sprinkle the salad with almonds and feta cheese.
    Feta and almonds sprinkled over spinach strawberry salad.
    • Pour a small amount of the prepared dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Serve the remaining dressing on the side.
    Bowl of prepared Spring Strawberry Spinach Salad.

    Preparing In Advance

    Strawberry Spinach Salad is best served immediately after assembling. However, you can prep several of the components up to 24 hours in advance.

    • Prepare the Poppy Seed Dressing and store it in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
    • Toast the nuts as directed and then let them cool completely. Place the toasted nuts into an airtight container and store them at room temperature.
    • Slice the shallots and place them into a container and pour water over the shallots. This will keep the shallots crisp-tender and remove any of their sharp taste. Store the shallots in the refrigerator. Simply drain off the water before adding the shallots to the salad.
    • If needed, wash, dry, and chop the spinach and store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container with a paper towel to absorb any excess moisture.
    • Wait until right before assembling the strawberry spinach salad to wash, hull, and slice the strawberries.
    • When ready to serve the salad, toss together the spinach, strawberries, shallots, feta, dressing, and nuts as the recipe directs.

    Serving Suggestions

    This Strawberry Spinach Salad is always a crowd-pleaser, even with people who often turn their noses up to salad.

    It is the perfect salad to include on your brunch menu alongside Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole, French Toast Casserole, and Quiche Lorraine. Or pair it with Pasta Primavera or Easy Baked Chicken Cordon Bleu for a light dinner perfect for spring.

    One thing you want to keep in mind when serving this Strawberry Spinach Salad to a crowd is it is best to serve the dressing, almonds, and feta on the side. That way everyone can prepare this salad how they desire. This is especially important if serving anyone with food allergies or sensitivities.

    More Delicious Salad Recipes

    • Caesar Salad
    • BLT Salad
    • Holiday Salad
    • Tossed Greek Salad
    • Caprese Salad
    • Mandarin Orange Salad

    If you gave this Strawberry Spinach Salad a try, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.

    Spinach salad in serving dish topped with strawberies and poppyseed dressing.

    Strawberry Spinach Salad

    Made with fresh spinach, juicy strawberries, toasted almonds, feta cheese, and a creamy homemade poppy seed dressing, this recipe for Strawberry Spinach Salad is both gorgeous and delicious!
    5 from 14 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Salad
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 92kcal
    Author: Kristen Chidsey

    Ingredients

    Creamy Poppyseed Dressing

    • â…“ cup plain yogurt
    • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
    • ¼ cup Champagne vinegar or white wine or apple cider vinegar
    • 2 tablespoons honey
    • 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
    • 1 teaspoon grated shallots
    • ½ teaspoon kosher salt

    Strawberry Spinach Salad

    • 10 ounces baby spinach
    • 1 cup ripe strawberries hulled, thinly sliced
    • 1 shallot thinly sliced
    • ¼ cup sliced almonds toasted
    • â…“ cup feta cheese crumbled
    Prevents your screen from going dark while preparing the recipe.

    Instructions

    Poppy Seed Dressing

    • In a small bowl or jar, whisk together yogurt, mustard, poppy seeds, grated shallot, champagne vinegar, honey, and salt together until well combined. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

    For the Salad

    • Place the nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, tossing every 30 seconds. When you smell the nuts, remove them from the heat immediately, so you do not burn the nuts.
    • Toss the spinach with strawberries and shallot. Crumble feta evenly over the salad. Sprinkle with toasted almonds.
    • Toss salad with ¼ cup dressing right before serving and serve with additional dressing on the side. 

    Notes

    Nuts: Feel free to use pecans or walnut in place of almonds. 
    Spinach: Feel free to use spring greens in place of baby spinach. If using mature spinach, remove woody stems and chop them into bite-sized pieces.
    Champagne Vinegar: Feel free to use white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar in its place. 
    Preparing in advance: The ingredients can be prepped up to 24 hours ahead of time. However, it is best to keep the components separate until right before serving. This keeps the salad from getting wilted and the nuts crunchy. 
    Serving the Salad: I find it is best to serve the dressing, almonds, and feta on the side--so everyone can prepare this salad how they desire. This is especially important if serving anyone with a nut allergy!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 92kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 131mg | Potassium: 346mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 4465IU | Vitamin C: 27.7mg | Calcium: 104mg | Iron: 1.7mg
    Liked this Recipe? Tag me Today!Snap a picture and tag #amindfullmom on Instagram - I would love to see!

    This post was originally published in 2018 but was updated in 2022 with a new video and tips.

    « Colcannon
    Tater Tot Casserole »

    About Kristen Chidsey

    Hi, I am Kristen, creator of A Mind "Full" Mom. I believe that making a wholesome family meal does not need to be hard or expensive! I love nothing more than to share with you delicious solutions for your hungry family.

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    1. Kayla

      April 09, 2023 at 8:10 pm

      5 stars
      Made this for Easter lunch and it was delicious! Received a lot of compliments on how tasty it was. Thank you for the recipe. 🙂 And Happy Easter!

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        April 10, 2023 at 9:20 am

        Wonderful! I hope you had a wonderful Easter yourself!

        Reply
    2. Sharina

      April 02, 2023 at 8:28 pm

      5 stars
      I love how refreshing this salad recipe is! Strawberry and spinach are a great combo with a delicious dressing! New fav!

      Reply
    3. Debbie T

      March 23, 2023 at 9:48 am

      5 stars
      My favorite salad! I love the crunchy almonds and the dressing is amazing!

      Reply
    4. Kara

      March 03, 2023 at 10:26 am

      5 stars
      I used apple cider vinegar because I had it on hand. Such a delicious and refreshing salad, and I love the crunch from the almonds!

      Reply
    5. Natalie

      March 10, 2022 at 9:50 am

      5 stars
      I have all ingredients at home. I will make this salad tomorrow for lunch. Can't wait. Looks amazing.

      Reply
    6. Gina

      March 10, 2022 at 7:59 am

      5 stars
      Love this simple spring salad, the sliced almonds give it such wonderful texture!

      Reply
    7. Nellie Tracy

      April 13, 2020 at 2:45 pm

      5 stars
      Love this recipe! Perfect for summer

      Reply
    8. Jessica

      April 13, 2020 at 2:25 pm

      5 stars
      The salad is great, but what really makes this recipe is the poppyseed dressing. I made a double batch to serve on all my lunch salads this week.

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        April 13, 2020 at 2:28 pm

        I am so glad you enjoy the dressing so much Jessica!

        Reply
    9. Tisha

      March 22, 2019 at 2:26 am

      5 stars
      Strawberry and spinach are always so great together in a salad! That poppy seed dressing also sounds like just what this needs to make it perfect!

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        March 22, 2019 at 6:56 am

        Thanks Tisha! that dressing makes this salad pop!

        Reply
    10. Carrie

      March 21, 2019 at 10:11 pm

      5 stars
      Such a refreshing salad. Love it.

      Reply

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    This simple Strawberry Spinach Salad is one of the BEST salad recipes! Everyone loves this fresh combination of spinach, strawberries and a creamy poppyseed dressing.

    Meet a Mind "Full" Mom

    A Picture of A Mind"Full"Mom

    Hi! I'm Kristen. I want to welcome you into my kitchen and my REAL, imperfect life. Let me share with you tips and tricks to help you make healthy eating a reality for your family in the chaos of life and on the constraints of a budget. Read more

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